Colorado Springs News, Sports & Business

Rock fall damages vehicles on US 550 near Ouray

DURANGO — Authorities say a rock fall south of Ouray damaged vehicles and forced transportation officials to temporarily close U.S. Highway 550 in both directions.
Cpl. Heather Cobler, a spokeswoman for the Colorado State Patrol, tells The Durango Herald (http://bit.ly/1j6BCcG ) baseball-sized...

DURANGO — Authorities say a rock fall south of Ouray damaged vehicles and forced transportation officials to temporarily close U.S. Highway 550 in both directions.

Cpl. Heather Cobler, a spokeswoman for the Colorado State Patrol, tells The Durango Herald (http://bit.ly/1j6BCcG ) baseball-sized rocks started falling on Red Mountain Pass just after 6 p.m. Saturday and continued to fall for about half an hour. No one was injured.

One alternating lane was opened for traffic by 8 p.m. Saturday, and the highway was fully opened about an hour later.

In January, a massive rock fall in the same area severed the only direct route from Ouray to Silverton, normally about a 25-mile drive. A detour over Dallas Divide and Lizard Head Pass added about 150 miles to the trip. The highway reopened Feb. 10.